This invention relates to self-service terminals (SSTs), and in particular to methods and apparatus for automatically adjusting the position of user-interfacing elements of SSTs.
SSTs, such as automated teller machines (ATMs), are commonly and increasingly used to carry out many everyday transactions which do not require human supervision. In the case of ATMs, this is frequently the withdrawal of cash from a bank account.
To withdraw money from an account using a conventional ATM, the user is first required to insert a card into a card reader slot on the ATM fascia, the card serving as an identification token. The user must then confirm their identity, for example, by entering a personal identification number (PIN) associated with the card, but known only to the user. The PIN is entered on a keypad incorporated in the ATM.
The user will then proceed through a series of question and answer steps to obtain the desired service, typically in the format of reading instructions on a menu of choices displayed on a monitor incorporated in the ATM, and making selections by pressing keys arranged alongside the monitor.
Finally, the user may retrieve their cash from a dispensing slot provided in the ATM fascia, as well as a receipt, if desired, to provide a hard copy record of the transaction.
Clearly there is a requirement for ATMs, and other SSTs, to be of such a configuration as to be readily accessible to the user. To this end, ATMs are typically configured so as to be accessible by a user of average height, as determined by the Gaussian distribution of the height range of individuals. However, many individuals are not of average height, and those people who lie at the extreme ends of the Gaussian distribution, and hence diverge markedly from the average--for example, very tall individuals, very short individuals, or users in wheelchairs--may experience discomfort and difficulty in making use of a standard ATM, or may even be unable to use the machine at all.
In addition, there are a growing number of `drive-up` SSTs, intended to allow users to make use of SSTs while seated in their vehicles. As motor vehicles are not of a uniform height or configuration, varying between sports cars and trucks and utility vehicles, access problems may be experienced by users of such drive-up SSTs.